Chapter 4
CHAPTER 4
M aggie’s mother, Sarah Garrison, loved her family dearly. Whenever they needed advice or someone to listen to their troubles, Grandma Sarah was always available. She hated leaving her grandchildren, but she also hated being far away from her daughter.
When the time finally came for her to move, she sold everything and moved from Andover, Massachusetts, to Fort Myers, Florida, to be near her daughter Maggie, and avoid the bitter cold of northeast winters.
Since moving to Florida, a place where she knew no one except her daughter, she kept involved in her community and found ways to motivate and encourage others of her age to be as active as possible.
In doing so, she sometimes made questionable choices, at least in her daughter’s eyes, but so far she hadn’t done anything to get into serious trouble.
That was until she decided to stick her nose in where it didn’t belong. She didn’t do it alone. She had Millicent Brenner, the housekeeper from the Key Lime Garden Inn, and Linda St. James, editor-in-chief of the Captiva Chronicle newspaper. Both loved a mystery, never ignored a rumor, and couldn’t resist ferreting out details on all local scandals.
While Sarah lived just before the Sanibel bridge, Millie lived closer to downtown Fort Myers, and Linda lived and worked on Captiva Island.
The three women had been tossing around ideas of starting a book club, but for one reason or another, those plans kept getting pushed aside. When they’d talk about forming the book club, they never could agree on the details.
Linda wanted only Captiva Island residents, a problem considering most did not live there year-round, while Sarah and Millie believed they should get together off-island.
Since the book club formation was basically on hold, scouring Captiva Island for new members had become something of an obsession for Linda.
When Sarah confronted Linda on her stalking behavior, Linda explained that due diligence and vetting were necessary. After a while, Sarah had no choice but to ignore Linda because she took up too much of Sarah’s time, an unforgivable action considering Sarah’s very full schedule.
In Sarah’s eyes, being part of a book club would likely slow her down. She loved movement and physical activity. She didn’t want to sit in a chair for long, and reading a book would force her to do that very thing.
“You can always listen to the book, Sarah," Millie said. “Lots of people do it.”
Sarah looked at Millie like she had two heads.
“Right, I’ll listen to a book while I’m out having drinks at The Mucky Duck or when I’m playing pickleball. I don’t think so,” Sarah said.
Initially, Sarah loved the idea of the book club because she would meet new people, which would naturally lead to meeting other new people. However, when she realized the hours required to participate, she didn’t think she had the time.
“It’s too much like homework,” Sarah explained.
It was Linda who pressured Sarah and Millie to help form the group. Instead of upsetting Linda, the two women agreed to get involved.
However, Linda’s latest pursuit of Kristin Anna Wright seemed strange to her.
“Why in the world are you bothering that young woman with this silly book club idea?” she asked Linda.
“Come on, Sarah. You have to admit that you’re just as curious about her ex-husband as the rest of us. Wouldn’t you love to get the scoop on him?”
“Fine. Let’s say, Kristin joins the group. What makes you think she’s going to talk about her ex-husband? Most divorced women I know don’t even want to hear their ex’s name, let alone have a conversation about them. I think you’re assuming too much.”
“Maybe so, but I think she’d be an interesting addition to the group,” Linda insisted.
Sarah was becoming more frustrated with Linda and her focus on Kristin’s criminal husband as the days passed. When she talked to Millie about it, they both agreed to put the book club idea on the back-burner for now.
Whenever Linda called about it, Sarah wouldn’t answer her cellphone, and Millie started doing the same thing.
Linda’s latest snooping made Millie nervous.
Sitting in the kitchen of the Key Lime Garden Inn, Millie tried her best to get Maggie involved.
“Doesn’t she realize she’s playing with fire?” Millie asked Maggie.
Maggie shrugged. “Linda has never been the kind of person one would consider cautious. I think she loves to fly by the seat of her pants, and the truth is, I also think she enjoys shocking people. I don’t think you should get mixed up in any of this. From what I understand about Kristin’s ex-husband, he is dangerous and surrounds himself with scary people.”
“You wouldn’t think forming a book club would be so perilous,” Millie added. “I must say though, Kristin isn’t her ex-husband, and it’s not fair to treat her like she’s done something wrong. She seems nice enough. I heard he’s still in jail.”
“Why is Linda so determined to have Kristin be part of the book club?” Maggie asked.
Millie shrugged. “Beats me. Although, I do think she watches too many of those crime shows. She wants to know all the details of Kristin’s ex-husband’s crimes.”
“What does my mother think of all this?” Maggie asked.
“Good question. I don’t think your mother wants to belong to the book club at all. I think she’s just lonely and wants to participate in anything and everything. Did you know your mother carries around one of those planner notebooks? She’s got more commitments than anyone I’ve ever known.”
Maggie laughed. “That sounds like my mother all right. But don’t be fooled, just because she writes all that on her calendar doesn’t mean she participates in every one of those activities.”
“That’s so sad,” Millie said. “You mean she just writes things down to make it look like she’s busy?”
Maggie shook her head. “No, it’s not like that. She fills her calendar with every event she might attend. If she changes her mind at the last minute, it doesn’t matter, at least she knows what’s available to her. I think it’s great. She has more to keep her active and alert than ever, and I feel happy knowing that what she’s doing is safe.”
“Safe?” Millie asked.
“Yes, you don’t know my mother. Back in Massachusetts, if we didn’t keep an eye on her, she probably would have joined a motorcycle gang. This way, I know she’s happy, she’s healthy, and she’s engaged with life and people.”
Just then, the buzzer on the dryer went off.
“Looks like the towels are done,” Millie said.
She started to walk to the laundry room but stopped and turned back to Maggie.
“I guess the only thing I’d say is if you’re really concerned about your mother’s safety, you might want to encourage her to speak to Linda about Kristin and her ex-husband. Your mother might be safe today, but if Linda has her way, all of us might be getting involved in something we shouldn’t.”
Jacqui paced outside her father’s home office. She’d spent the last thirty minutes talking to herself. It was only a few months ago that she’d marched into his office to look in on him and feed him while he sat in his wheelchair after his stroke. Now, she struggled to walk into the room.
“Must be a humdinger of a problem if you’re afraid to go inside,” her brother Clayton teased.
“I’m not afraid. I’m just thinking.”
Clayton laughed. “Right. Which one of our parents are you thinking about, because they’re both in Dad’s office?”
“Mom’s in there too?”
“Yup.”
“Perfect. Thanks,” she said.
Jacqui figured her mother might soften her father’s mood, thus making this the perfect time to talk to them about Joshua.
“Hey Mom…Dad.”
She went to her mother first, and as usual received two air kisses in her usual European gesture. Long ago, her siblings and father greeted their mother this way, but it still embarrassed her when done in front of friends.
“Hello dear, how are things at the gallery?”
Jacqui nodded. “Fine…slow. It’s normal this time of year, especially with Thanksgiving just around the corner. Things should pick up just before Christmas. I’ve already decorated the front window with white lights.”
“That sounds lovely,” her mother responded, somewhat distractedly.
“Your mother and I have been going over the plans for Thanksgiving. Carolyn, Clayton and Wyatt will be here,” her father announced. We’ve decided to celebrate here instead of West Palm Beach. I have too much going on at work. We’ll do Christmas there as always.”
“Wyatt is coming home? That’s a surprise,” Jacqui asked.
“To us as well, but that’s today’s news. We’ll see if he actually shows up,” he added.
“What about Trevor and his family?” Jacqui asked.
Her mother didn’t answer, instead opting to let her husband explain.
“Trevor isn’t coming,” he said. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but he was rather curt with me. I’m sure something is going on with him and Sarah.”
Jacqui shook her head. “No, that’s not possible. I’ve never seen two people more in love. I’m sure you’re mistaken.”
Without Trevor as a buffer, suddenly the idea of bringing Joshua to meet her family seemed impossible.
“Did you want to see me about something?” her father asked.
Jacqui shook her head. “No, nothing. I better get back to the gallery. Let me know if I can bring something for Thanksgiving.”
“Oh, Jacqui, you know that isn’t necessary. Genevieve is the best cook in the world. I tell you this every year. Don’t bring anything except a good appetite,” her mother insisted.
Jacqui smiled, nodded, and then left the room and out into the foyer, where Clayton was waiting for her.
“By the look on your face, I take it things didn’t go exactly as you’d hoped?”
“Do they ever?” she asked, suddenly struck by the fact that her thirty-six-year-old brother was still living with his parents.
“Why exactly do you still live here? I mean, the rest of us have families and homes or condos of our own, but not you. Why is that?”
Clayton, ever the sarcastic one, smiled. “The food is really good here.”
Jacqui always laughed at Clayton’s attempts at humor, but for reasons she couldn’t articulate, this time, she didn’t see the humor in his answer.
The newly purchased home on Sandpiper Circle was far from glamorous. It was small but clean, situated on a plot of land distant from the water. What mattered most to Jacqui was that it was hers, bought with her own money, and not her parents'. This meant she had a mortgage, along with a new business barely hanging on.
She didn’t complain or ask for help. The gallery would either succeed or fail, but she wasn't worried. She could afford her home with or without the gallery, and that filled her with pride.
While most of her friends had student loans and credit card debt, Jacqui lived on investments she’d made, since her father taught her how to invest in the stock market when she was thirteen. When she was ready to buy her first stock, she handed her father five dollars and told him which stocks to purchase.
It didn’t matter that her tiny sum dwindled to two dollars within a week. She studied the markets and knew eventually her financial education would pay off. And it did, thanks to the smart choices she made with her father’s encouragement.
It seemed like forever ago when she relied on her parents to come to her rescue. She was always getting in trouble, and her parents paid for her apartments and education. Her father took control of her investments, and Jacqui was unable to touch one penny of what she’d worked so hard to save. It took a while, but through several hard lessons, she matured and her parents took notice.
Now, standing in her modest kitchen, Jacqui looked around with a sense of accomplishment. The walls were adorned with her own artwork, a testament to her passion and creativity. She’d spent countless hours transforming the space into a reflection of herself. Each brushstroke on the canvas, each carefully chosen piece of furniture, and each plant positioned just so, all told the story of a woman determined to carve out her own path.
The kitchen window overlooked a small backyard, where she had started a garden. It was nothing extravagant, just a few herbs and vegetables, but it brought her joy. She found solace in the simple act of tending to her plants, watching them grow and flourish under her care. It was a reminder that even in the face of uncertainty, life had a way of persevering.
Her days were filled with a whirlwind of activity. The gallery demanded her attention from dawn until dusk. She curated exhibitions, contacted artists, and promoted events with relentless dedication. The financial pressures were real, but she believed in her vision. She wanted to create a space where art could thrive, where people could come and be inspired.
In the evenings, when the gallery was closed, Jacqui would retreat to her home and unwind with a glass of wine. She’d sit on the porch, listening to the sounds of the night, letting the cool breeze wash over her. It was in these quiet moments that she allowed herself to reflect on how far she had come.
Her parents had always been supportive, but there was a part of Jacqui that needed to prove she could stand on her own. Growing up in a privileged household, she had seen firsthand the ease with which money could solve problems. But she wanted more than financial security; she wanted the satisfaction of knowing she had built something from the ground up.
Her father’s lessons in investing were invaluable. She remembered the early days, sitting at the kitchen table with him, poring over stock charts and financial news. He taught her about risk and reward, about the importance of patience and discipline. Those lessons had shaped her approach to life, instilling in her a sense of resilience and determination.
Jacqui’s investment portfolio had grown over the years, providing her with a cushion that allowed her to take risks. The gallery was one such risk, a leap of faith driven by her passion for art.
Looking out the window, she thought about Joshua and his desire to meet her parents. She wanted to make him happy, but the timing felt off. She was certain that if she brought him home for Thanksgiving, it would feel forced.
The more she thought about it, the more convinced she was that it would be a mistake to subject him to her family’s dysfunctional ways.
Jacqui could think of countless reasons why it wasn’t a good time to bring Joshua home to meet her family.
In the end, she couldn’t ignore the most important reason of all…that she wasn’t ready and had no idea if she ever would be.